2457 – ʿUbayd Allah ibn Muhammad reported: ʿAli ibn Muhammad ibn Ahmad told us; he said: my father told us; he said: Abu al-ʿAwwam narrated; he said: ʿUmar ibn Ibrahim al-Hashimi narrated from ʿAbd al-Malik ibn ʿUmayr, from Usayd ibn Safwan, a Companion of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, who said:
When Abu Bakr – may Allah be pleased with him – passed away, the whole of Madinah echoed with weeping and the people were stupefied, just as they had been on the day the Messenger of Allah ﷺ was taken. ʿAli ibn Abi Talib then came, weeping and uttering istirjaʿ (“We belong to Allah and to Him we return”), saying, “Today the caliphate of Prophethood has been severed.” He continued until he stopped at the doorway of the house in which Abu Bakr lay and said:
“May Allah have mercy on you, Abu Bakr. You were the first of the people to embrace Islam, the most sincere in faith, the firmest in resolve, the most fearful of Allah, the richest in wealth, the most protective of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ, the most devoted to Islam, the most trustworthy toward his Companions, the best in companionship, the richest in virtues, the greatest in prior merits, the loftiest in rank, the closest to the Messenger, the one who most resembled him in guidance, character, bearing, and conduct, the most honored in his sight, the dearest to him, and the one in whom he placed the surest trust. May Allah reward you on behalf of Islam, His Messenger, and the Muslims with the very best reward.
You declared the Messenger of Allah ﷺ to be truthful when people accused him of lying, so Allah named you in His Book ‘al-Ṣiddīq’ (the ever-truthful):
‘And he who brought the truth’ [39:33] – that is Muhammad –
‘and he who confirmed it’ [39:33] – that is Abu Bakr.
You consoled him when he was alone, stood with him when others stayed back. You kept him company in hardship – the noblest of companionship – being the second of the two, his companion upon whom tranquillity was sent down. You shared with him the migration and every field of danger.
You succeeded him over his community with the best succession when the people were relapsing, and you upheld the religion of Allah with a commitment unmatched by any caliph of a prophet. You became strong when your companions weakened, advanced when they held back, rose when they faltered, and clung to the path of his Messenger when his companions nearly wavered. You were in truth his khalifah, holding firm without fracture despite the spite of the hypocrites, the scorn of the profligate, the anger of the hypocrites, and the ⦗1376⦘ hatred of the envious.
You stood for the ummah when they lost heart, spoke out when they stammered, moved forward with the light of Allah when they halted. They followed you and were guided. You were the least among them in voice yet the strongest in force, the most sparing in speech yet the most guarded in utterance, the longest in silence yet the most eloquent in word.
You possessed the widest vision, the boldest heart, the firmest certainty, the finest deeds, and the deepest knowledge of affairs. By Allah, you were for the religion a rallying leader first – when people deserted it – and last – when they returned.
You were a compassionate father to the believers when they became your dependents: you bore burdens from them under which they buckled, safeguarded what they squandered, tended what they neglected, bestirred yourself when they hung back, rose high when they panicked, and showed patience when they despaired. You attained what they sought and enabled them through you to gain what they had never expected.
Against the disbelievers you were an unrelenting scourge and a blazing fire; for the Muslims you were life-giving rain and abundant fertility. By Allah, you seized its riches completely, won its choicest shares, and secured its virtues, preserving its precedents. Your proof was never blunted, your heart never swerved, your insight never dulled, your soul never showed cowardice, nor did you ever betray.
You were like a mountain that the gales cannot shake and the blasts cannot dislodge. You were, as the Messenger of Allah ﷺ said, the most secure of people in companionship and in generosity; and as he also said: weak in body yet strong in the cause of Allah, humble in yourself yet mighty with Allah, eminent on earth, great in the eyes of the believers.
No one ever found in you a flaw to censure, nor any speaker an opening to reproach, nor anyone a hope of exploiting you; nor did you show favoritism to anyone. The weak, lowly person was mighty and honored in your presence until you secured his right for him, while the strong and powerful was lowly with you until you took the right from him. Near and far were equal before you in that regard.
Your speech was clarity, truth, and gentleness; your word was judgment and finality; your command was forbearance and resolve; your opinion was knowledge and determination. Under your leadership the path was cleared, the rugged became easy, the fires were extinguished; through you the religion became upright, faith grew strong, and the cause of Allah prevailed even though the disbelievers disliked it. Islam and the believers stood firm.
By Allah, you outstripped everyone by a far distance, exhausted those who came after you with severe toil, and attained the good with manifest success.
Your loss is too great for tears; your calamity is ⦗1377⦘ tremendous in the heavens; your misfortune has shaken all creation. Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him we return. We accept Allah’s decree and submit to His command. By Allah, the Muslims will never suffer a blow after the Messenger of Allah ﷺ like you. You were a fortress and honor for the religion, a refuge, strength, and comfort for the believers, and a scourge and rage upon the hypocrites. May Allah join you to your Prophet, not deprive us of your reward, and not lead us astray after you. Indeed we belong to Allah and to Him we return.”
The people remained silent until he finished; then the Companions of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ wept and said, “You have spoken the truth, O son-in-law of the Messenger of Allah ﷺ.”